Scaffolding Board Prices Set To Rise Further
A global timber shortage is wreaking havoc within the UK scaffolding industry pushing scaffolding board prices sky-high with no end in sight.
Warnings of timber shortages including scaffolding boards are continuing to being issued from leading businesses and organisations from across the UK construction and housebuilding industry. Due to worldwide demand timber organisations and the CLC are expressing stark concerns about low stocks of European softwood, which is the raw material used to produce UK scaffolding boards. Faltering availability and rapidly rising material prices are presenting serious challenges for the sector. And this comes at a time of high levels of sustained growth in construction after the turbulent times caused by the pandemic.Global Timber Demand
Experts say demand for timber from the three biggest global markets of China, America and Russia has contributed to a situation that may take months to stabilise and years to fully recover. The USA is fueling the worldwide demand by purchasing record volumes of timber and paying record prices to build timber-framed houses, meanwhile, China is also buying the round log from Europe and other regions for additional supply. This plus a huge growth in the DIY market across Europe have contributed to the demand for timber sending prices sky-rocketing. To put it simply, global demand is outstripping production.Rising Scaffolding Board Prices
According to sources in the UK, scaffolding contractors are now paying on average between £12 – £16 per 13ft board. The average price last year was around 50% cheaper. Scaffmag understands more increases in scaffolding board prices from suppliers are expected in June and July. One UK scaffolding board supplier said, “The market is difficult to predict but indications are at the end of Q3 the prices will Plato out.” “But we don’t think we will ever see boards priced at £7 – £9 again,” they said. Read more about raising materials pricesEnigma set for End to End Charity Motorbike Ride
Enigma employees and partners are undertaking the ultimate endurance challenge weekend of Saturday 26th June 2021.
The fundraising team will ride motorbikes a distance of 984 miles from Lands End, Cornwall to John O’Groats, Scotland. To raise awareness and funds for Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health, who for over a century have been helping former servicemen and women deal with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. Today they provide specialist treatment and support for veterans from every service and conflict, focusing on those with complex mental health issues related to their military service.
Throughout the United Kingdom, suicide rates continue to rise and supporting people suffering from mental health is a significant national social issue, everyone can help to prevent further deaths by providing support.
Event organiser Roy Rogers, Enigma QSHE & Energy Director, a former soldier himself in the British Army, completing several operational tour’s would like to raise awareness and funds to help fellow veterans struggling with mental health.
SIMIAN partner up to provide BIM Training
SIMIAN, the UK’s largest privately-owned scaffolding training provider has partnered with the BIM Academy to offer Building Information Modelling (BIM) Training for the masses.
Simian’s partnering approach to training has added another dimension to its portfolio of modern construction training courses. The training provider has joined forces with the BIM Academy and is set to provide a centre of excellence for BIM training at their London Academy of Sustainable Construction (LASC) centre at Waltham Forest in northeast London. Speaking of the partnership, Simon Hughes, MD at Simian, said: “At the very heart of our strategy for LASC, is the desire to promote digital integration into construction and assist in the development of modern methods of construction. The partnership with BIM Academy is a huge step in achieving that. Building information modelling, commonly known as ‘BIM’, is the use of intelligent 3D modelling software to help architecture, engineering, and construction professionals with project planning, design, construction management, and ongoing building operations, and it offers fantastic benefits to those involved in all aspects of construction, throughout the whole lifecycle of a construction project, from inception right through to completion and beyond. We are delighted to be working alongside BIM Academy and are looking forward to developing the scope of the BIM training provided at our London Academy of Sustainable Construction site. The addition of training of this nature will provide modern digital Skills for Waltham Forest residents and the wider London community.”
The BIM Academy was founded in 2010 by Northumbria University and Ryder Architecture, and is now regarded as a leading global provider of digital solutions and consulting for strategic information management, operating in 19 countries on 4 continents.
Graham Kelly, Director at BIM Academy added: “We are delighted to be working with SIMIAN at their London Academy of Sustainable Construction site.
It is a great opportunity for BIM Academy to support this fantastic initiative. All our training and development programmes are designed to meet the needs of professionals in the built environment who are seeking to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in all areas of digital information management, BIM software and workflows.”
Simian’s first BIM course, “BIM Fundamentals” will take place on 16 June and is bookable via its website. SIMIAN says the course is aimed at construction and infrastructure professionals, designers, manufacturers, contractors, facilities management, engineers and essentially anyone who wishes to increase their understanding of BIM. Father and son tragedy after mast climber incident
A 17-year-old has died after spending days in a critical condition in hospital following an accident that killed his father.
The accident happened at a Laing O’Rourke site on Chapel Street in Liverpool on Wednesday last week. Reports suggest a mast climber on site failed dropping the men several floors. The man’s father, 53 died at the scene, his son who was working alongside him was critically injured and was rushed to hospital. Merseyside Police have now sadly confirmed he too died from his injures on Sunday. The man’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. An investigation is being carried out by Police detectives and the Health and Safety Executive. A Laing O’Rourke spokesperson said: “We are saddened by this tragic news and our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the two men at this extremely difficult time. The Health and Safety Executive has begun its investigation and we and our subcontractors are cooperating fully.Airwright Midland bags scaffolding package for 154 new homes
Scaffolding contractors Airwright Midland has secured a substantial scaffolding package to support the construction of 154 new homes in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Starting in June, the Redditch based scaffolders will be providing a traditional build program that will be erected progressively for its client the Vistry Group at the former Long Marston Airfield. The disused airfield is currently being transformed into one of the UK’s first new garden villages that will eventually include up to 3,500 new homes and a six-hectare business park. Commenting on the award announcement, Adrian Cole at Airwright Midland said: “We are looking forward to working with Vistry again who have one of the industries more robust specifications which is fantastic for us and shows a real commitment to safety. The site consists of 3-5 bed homes aimed at the aspirational client which does very well in this area as we already have a site located next door for St Modwen Homes.” “We have moved to this site with the same site manager Kieron Wheeler and build team who have just completed Weights Lane in Redditch and who won a NHBC award for pride in the job. Fingers crossed we can emulate the success we had there and secure him his second. Hopefully this project will run as smoothly as the previous and we can’t wait to get started in June.”Clean Air Zone roll-out set to impact scaffolding firms delivering into city centres
As plans to introduce and roll out Clean Air Zones in cities across the UK, experts are warning operators of HGV’s and Vans that delivering into some city centres is likely to incur considerable extra costs in the near future.
Energy giant to stand trial over death of offshore scaffolder
BP is facing trial over the death of a scaffolder who fell from a North Sea oil platform.
Scaffolder Sean Anderson 43, from the Tyne and Wear, was part of a team carrying out routine maintenance on BP’s Unity platform when the incident happened on 4th September 2014. Mr Anderson worked for the industrial services firm Cape when he fell from the Unity platform in the North Sea that is situated 97 miles off the coast of Aberdeen. He sustained fatal injures from the fall that happened at around 4 am on the day of the inccident. The case has now been called at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, with BP facing a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act, according to the Evening Express. It is alleged the firm failed to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that people not in its employment, but who may have been affected, were not exposed to risks to their health or safety. The charge alleges BP failed to have in place suitable and sufficient control measures in respect of open gratings on the lower deck of the platform and that, as a consequence, Mr Anderson fell through an open grating to the sea below and sustained fatal injuries. BP has lodged a plea of not guilty in respect of the allegation. The trial is expected to start early next year. At the time of the incident a Cape spokesperson said: “It is with deep regret that Cape confirms the death of an employee following an incident this morning. “The deceased was part of a Cape team carrying out routine maintenance onboard BP’s Unity platform. Our thoughts go out to his family, to whom we will be offering every support. “The deceased’s co-workers are obviously shocked and saddened and we are working alongside BP to ensure they receive the support they need.”Jason Anker supports colourful life-saving training system
Safety awareness campaigner Jason Anker MBE has given his support to the E-Colors Personality Diversity Indicator (PDI), saying that it could help prevent avoidable accidents on construction sites.
Anker, who was paralysed from the waist down following an avoidable fall from height at the age of 24, recently used the personality profiling tool after being introduced to it by health and safety consultancy Hillmont Associates. The UK-based firm was the first in the country to become a licensed practitioner of the E-Colors PDI system. It was developed in 2004 by specialist coaching firm Equilibria, which was founded in Singapore by four individuals from the oil and gas industry, and uses a questionnaire to determine a person’s personality traits. Each personality type is identified by a combination of colours; red ‘Doer’, yellow ‘Socialiser’, green ‘Thinker’ and blue ‘Relator’, which helps to improve self-awareness so that people can react differently in specific situations. Jason Anker MBE, said, “From my experience I believe E-Colors has the capability to improve safety on construction sites. “Could I or my workmates have acted differently on the day of my accident, having known our E-Colors? It is possible. It’s an incredible tool and I look forward to seeing it implemented through UK organisations, to help people understand themselves and others and to save lives.” Speaking about his own experience with the tool, the construction industry speaker said, “After completing the PDI my E-Colors are Yellow/Blue – ‘The Relating Socialiser’. The information I received in the Premium Report was so accurate. The subsequent awareness and training sessions I have had with Hillmont Associates have really helped me understand myself and how I interact with others.” According to Hillmont, the awareness obtained from incorporating the E-Colours PDI system is particularly beneficial to those working across multiple sites, contracts and in hazardous environments. It said, “Understanding how colleagues might respond in critical circumstances can allow them to improve how they work together, which in turn can significantly reduce the risk of accidents on site, resulting in reduced downtime and more importantly, lives saved.” Mark Wilkinson (FInstLM / CMIOSH), Managing Director of Hillmont Associates, said, “It’s amazing to get such a fantastic endorsement from Jason, who has many years’ experience working in the construction sector with so many well-known companies.” “E-Colors is a tool for life, with it’s simple and immediate application to help people not only understand themselves better, but those close to them, be it at work, or in their personal lives. It assists the development of skills and managing any potential limiters to effectively interact better with people on a daily basis. “An increasing number of organisations, particularly those in the construction sector and high-risk industries, place a growing emphasis not only on health and safety, but also on creating a better culture. These companies recognise the substantial benefits E-Colors offers.” Hillmont Associates is delivering E-Colors Awareness Sessions and further training solutionsfor managing personnel and operations across a variety of industries including construction, aviation, energy and events. The company is also holding Public Awareness Events on Friday 21st May and Saturday 26th June https://hillmontassociates.com/e-colors-pdi.A Say in Keeping History Alive
With imposing views across the city, York’s Clifford Tower will remain a breath-taking North Yorkshire landmark long into the future thanks to some loving restoration and repair work helped along with a little help from one of the counties finest scaffolding exponents.
Whichever way you look the City of York makes for a dramatic vista with its sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and many other spectacular properties. Look closely at the castle close to the River Foss and you’ll spot the now-ruined keep of the medieval Norman castle commonly referred to as Clifford’s Tower. More than nine centuries of history have roots in this world-famous place, so any scaffolder would surely be proud to play a part in helping restore a past, so important to York’s future. The original mound of Clifford’s Tower, with a timber structure at the top, was constructed by William the Conqueror in 1068 as a statement of his power over the whole area. The passage of time however along with huge numbers of visitors meant restoration work was urgently needed to both conserve and repair the tower for future generations to enjoy. English Heritage has told us: “In June 2020, City of York Council granted planning permission to enable conservation and improvements to visitor infrastructure at Clifford’s Tower, following our consultation which showed clear support among the people of York for the plans. “Following this, separate Scheduled Monument Consent was granted in September 2020, meaning that all the necessary permissions were now in place for work to start. Work started on our project to undertake specialist care of the tower’s historic fabric in November 2020. Though the tower is now likely to have to remain closed to visitors until the project is completed in summer 2021.” Wetherby based Say Scaffolding was charged with the task of erecting a scaffolding design strong and safe enough to be set in place for 30 weeks, while the work was carried out by Simpson of York. Say offer bespoke and innovative scaffolding solutions using a combination of traditional tube and fitting, and Layher system scaffolding. And with Managing Director Philip Wetten both pricing up the job and also playing a leading role in its creation with Scot Nicholas, director of Raptor Scaffolding Design, English Heritage were in good hands throughout.
They chose a free-standing barrow run scaffold fully buttressed on both sides with an attached Layher system stair tower. A 2000kg goods hoist was attached to the end of the scaffold to help with the project. The fully external perimeter scaffold has a neat and efficient look having seen five fully boarded lifts. In short, everything required for restoration and repair work.
In fact, previous experience is invaluable on such a challenge – Say could fall back on the knowledge gained from lifts fully boarded in 2019. It’s also important to note the work involved in putting three temporary roof sections in place – one over the main entrance and another over stair cores one and two.
And when it comes to a safe and secure working platform for a new roof structure the company weren’t found wanting. Enter a birdcage scaffold bridged two ways from a central independent to the internal perimeter scaffold. The view looking up from the bottom of those well-trodden steps is certainly impressive.
Most scaffolders would agree any project of historical importance should blend in with the surroundings as best as possible, and this is certainly the case with the Clifford Tower. It’s scaffolding guaranteed to do any castle proud. But then this isn’t surprising given the history of the company involved.
Established in 2004, SAY Group of Companies / SAY Scaffolding (Northern) Ltd has established itself as a key player within the scaffolding industry, providing access, protection and support scaffolding for a broad range of infrastructure, building and refurbishment projects.
A Say in keeping history alive is worth its weight in Yorkshire Gold.
www.sayltd.co.uk
This article was first published in the ScaffMag Magazine Issue 12
